Follow Your Heart
by EidolonLathi
Summary: Having acquired a new heart Kakuzu has to ensure it gets accustomed to acting in coordination with the mask it is protected by. Unexpectedly Hidan proves to be an accidental distraction in this learning process. [KakuzuxHidan]


_Summary: Having acquired a new heart Kakuzu has to ensure it gets accustomed to acting in coordination with the mask it is protected by. Unexpectedly Hidan proves to be an accidental distraction in this learning process. __[Kakuzu/Hidan]__  
__This fic is also cross posted to ao3. _

_Author's Notes: __Written for kakuhidaweek 2019. Day 05 – Prompt: Hexed!_

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**Follow Your Heart**

Kakuzu felt certain that over the years he had found the most fitting method of how to deal with it whenever he acquired a new heart.

The first step was getting the new heart used to his body. After all the heart had to understand it belonged to Kakuzu from now on, an act that could be challenging when the organ in question possessed another alignment than his natural alignment towards the earth power. The easiest way to ensure this acclimatization process was going well was by letting the heart stay in his body, protected by the mask it was from now on supposed to be synchronized with.

Once the heart had gotten used that it belonged to Kakuzu and stood under the influence of the respective mask protecting it, its sense of self needed to be strengthened. After all it was crucial that during a fight mask and heart were able to follow orders when separated from Kakuzu's body. And more, it was also crucial they managed to make independent decisions in case a situation was especially dire. For this purpose it was the easiest to let mask and heart roam around on their own during a peaceful moment.

"Kakuzu?"

Or at least during a moment that had been peaceful until now.

"Kakuzu? Are you here? It happened again!"

Suppressing a resigned sigh Kakuzu followed the voice calling out for him. He entered the room the washing machine was located in, greeted with an accusing glance by the figure lying on the tiled floor. "I'm trying to pray in here. Make it stop", Hidan said, gesturing at the string monster sitting right next to his prayer circle, despite the motionless nature of its mask giving off the impression that it was eying Hidan with curiosity.

Kakuzu shrugged his shoulders. "The new heart and the mask are supposed to get used to each other."

Hidan huffed, looking sceptical. "You keep saying that but I'm starting to suspect you disturb my praying sessions on purpose."

"I don't. The creature is acting on its own accord right now", Kakuzu said, despite his words ordering the string monster to take a few steps back, stopping its lingering at the edge of the prayer circle.

Leaning up on his elbows Hidan let hear an annoyed sigh. "It keeps bothering me when I'm praying."

"Does it? Are you sure you haven't put it under one of your spells to keep summoning it?", Kakuzu asked, not bothering to hide the teasing edge in his voice.

Hearing this Hidan flopped down on the floor again, eyes widening in disbelief. "Heathens!"

Taking advantage of the both of them being distracted like this the string creature walked closer to Hidan again, tentatively nudging him with… well, with what would have been its snout, taken you interpreted its mask as an actual head. "Mnyu!"

"Kakuzu! It keeps lingering!"

"I told you before, if it keeps bothering you just shove it carefully to the side. Eventually it will get the hint", Kakuzu explained, folding his arms in front of his chest. "It's in a new learning phase for it right now, with the thread creature getting used to a new heart. So make it clear to it when you feel bothered by its behaviour, it will soon understand."

Hearing this Hidan looked reluctant, sitting up again. "Shoving it aside? That's… that sounds so cruel." He extended his hand towards the string creature, awkwardly starting to pat it's head. Or more, where its head would have been if you counted the mask as its actual head. With a sigh he addressed the creature: "It couldn't be you're actually starting to get interested in Jashinism, couldn't it?"

"It isn't getting interested in your religion, I assure you. Are you sure you didn't hex it?" Kakuzu announced, not intending to mention that his string creatures only followed urges that were rooted in his own personality to begin with. Still, it starting to follow Hidan around like an abandoned pet… this new heart was an especially impulsive one, wasn't it?

Hidan's frown deepened. He lowered his head, failing to hide the blush starting to show up on his pale face. "I already told you, I didn't put a spell on that creature of yours, didn't I?" Despite his words he clumsily continued patting the head of the string monster.

Seeing this tentative display Kakuzu had to sigh, aimlessly so. "Those beings are supposed to act during battle. It won't get hurt just because you give it a pat."

Hidan glanced up at Kakuzu, sceptically so.

"Never had a pet?" Speaking out the sentence it occurred to Kakuzu that you could in fact compare those string monsters to… well, maybe to a dog trained to perform certain challenges.

"I had. When I entered the academy. Guinea pigs."

Hearing this Kakuzu went still. Guinea pigs? His question had meant to be a tease to begin with, he hadn't really expected an answer. But of all the pets in the world… Guinea pigs? He had trouble managing to form a connection between this kind of docile pet and Hidan.

The scepticism disappeared from Hidan's face. "You do know what Guinea pigs are, do you? They're some kind of rodent, like rabbits but lacking the long ears and…"

"What? Of course I know what Guinea pigs are, yes!" Kakuzu just had been taken aback that Hidan of all people had used to have some.

"Don't sound so offended. I thought maybe they weren't in fashion when you were still young."

"In fact, they were not. But I'm perfectly aware what a Guinea pig is, thank you!" Kakuzu's irritation quickly got erased by another thing Hidan had just said: "Wait. Pets get into fashion?"

Hidan shrugged his shoulders, an unhappy look showing up on his face. "When I was at the academy, everyone wanted to have those shitty gerbils."

"I know what gerbils are. An acquaintance used to have them around, as food for his snakes", Kakuzu mentioned, quickly, before Hidan had time to assume he didn't know what those were either.

Hidan gave the string monster another pat on the head. It held still, looking at ease now it had managed to get Hidan's attention. That creature honestly seemed to turn out to be an especially impulsive one, Kakuzu realized, an odd blush starting to spread through his face. The realization he wasn't currently wearing his mask only managed to deepen his sense of discomfort.

Still looking at the monster Hidan started talking: "Snake food? The only thing they are good for. I never liked gerbils."

"You didn't?"

"No. Nervous little fuckers. I always found them suspicious. Reminded me too much of rats."

Hearing those strongly worded sentiments Kakuzu had to pause. Suspicious? He tried remembering the gerbils Orochimaru had held at the base to feed to his snakes. Had those gerbils been suspicious? He looked at the washing machine, trying to order his thoughts. Well, they certainly had been nervous indeed, Kakuzu thought to recall. "The snakes were relaxed creatures. Not nervous at all."

"Oh?"

"And Guinea pigs aren't nervous?", Kakuzu asked, trying to distract from the fact the string monster looked downright docile and happy to be around Hidan. Yes, he needed to improve the ability of that one to play it cool, he really needed to!

Hidan's expression got distant, as if recalling a memory. Then an absentminded smile showed up on his face. "Nervous? Nah. Guinea pigs just want to be left alone in peace. And they get cheerful when you feed them carrots."

"Carrots?"

"And dandelion leaves. A bit like rabbits, I told you."

Hidan looked at the string monster still patiently sitting by his side. "If it has to be a rodent, rabbit type rodents are preferable towards rat type rodents. You agree with me on that, don't you?"

"Mnyu!", the creature announced. It had sounded entirely too enthusiastic.

"You hexed it after all, admit it!", Kakuzu said, unable to keep silent anymore.

Hearing this Hidan had the nerve to look completely innocent and unbothered. For some reason his earlier blush had started to intensify once again though. "I keep telling you, I didn't. I guess your monster is just curious. Like a cat or something."

As if in agreement the string monster made another happy sound, not hiding it was glad getting Hidan's attention again. Hearing this Kakuzu suppressed a groan, hoping his own blush had disappeared again in the meanwhile. Admittedly, he didn't know much about Guinea pigs, but he felt certain they would have been easier to take care of after all.

_**The End**_

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_Author's Notes: No real gerbil was hated on or hurt while writing this fic. Hidan just had bad experiences with dumb classmates, influencing his gerbil opinion in unfortunate ways._


End file.
